September at a Slow Pace: Rediscovering Time Between Tracks and Stories
September always brings a unique rhythm. Summer slowly fades, the days get shorter, and our calendars fill up again. For families, it is the month when life really picks up speed between school, work, and everyday routines. Yet, just when everything demands that we rush, a strong need surfaces to slow down and find time to breathe and reflect.
The art of rediscovering the landscape at a walking pace
We believe that one way to find this calmness again is to rediscover those routes that do not serve merely to move us from point A to point B, but to experience the journey itself as an adventure of the soul. After all, with the memory of the holidays still fresh, the mind spontaneously returns to slow travel.
A typical example of this philosophy is the Circumetnea, the historic railway line that since 1895 has traversed the volcanic landscapes around Mount Etna. In an era dominated by high speed, stepping onto these carriages is a true leap into the past. The train travels at a walking pace among black lava rocks, as well as hazelnut and pistachio trees. From the windows, one can spot old stone stations, where small groups of people wait for the train almost to greet the passage of time. The Circumetnea is almost a suspended place: an invitation to welcome stories, memory, and contemplation. Teaching children the value of these routes means giving them the ability to observe, feel the rhythm of the earth, and understand that the journey matters as much as the destination.
On the track of imagination
It is precisely this spirit of discovery and contemplative travel that guides our choice for the book of the month. To accompany the September restart, we propose to you the bilingual illustrated book (Italian/Arabic) Il treno, published by Edizioni Mesogea and written by Salah El-Mur. Designed for children aged 4 and up, but capable of enchanting adults as well, the book transforms rail travel into a poetic and deep visual language.
Granting oneself this reading in September means bringing into the walls of your home a small piece of that slowness experienced on the tracks of Mount Etna. A precious reminder to tell us that, even when life begins to rush again, it is enough to turn a page together with our children to rediscover the taste of waiting.
“One day we take an early morning train to go on a great journey” (from Il treno)